


Womanly Flowering Time

by scarletwithans



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Cute Banter, Cute Ending, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Anne Shirley, F/M, Fluff, Gilbert Blythe is Whipped, Gilbert Blythe is a feminist, Gilbert Blythe is the most amazing husband in the world, Gilbert Blythe takes care of Anne Shirley, Married Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Protective Gilbert Blythe, Renew Anne with an E, Romance, Shirbert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26279557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletwithans/pseuds/scarletwithans
Summary: With thoughts of her amazing husband and their future children occupying her mind, she realized that she didn't mind menstruation so much. As treacherous as the pain had been, if it meant that they could share such special, intimate moments, and that they could have beautiful children of their own, she would bear it willingly. Oh, how she loved being a woman!Gilbert takes care of Anne when she's on her period - lots of emotions and lots of fluff!
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 96





	Womanly Flowering Time

**Author's Note:**

> As implied by the title, there is mention of menstruation. TRIGGER WARNING: There is also slight mention of sexual assault.

“Anne, I’m home!” called Gilbert as he entered their house of dreams. He smiled softly as he observed the assortment of flowers and brightly coloured feathers that she had adorned their home with. He recalled the time when he had been in her room at Green Gables to return her pen, but most importantly to unburden his heart to the girl who had always been the fond object of his affection and his desire, the keeper of the key to his heart. He admired how she had made her room uniquely hers, leaving her personal touches as physical proof that Anne Shirley-Cuthbert had been here. 

He was inspired by her ability to see beauty in everything around her. He knew for certain, in that moment, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her – listening to her as she shared her enrapturing views on the world, going for picnics at the beach, strolls in the garden, walking hand in hand as they proudly wore flower crowns that she had meticulously crafted. It came as no surprise then that he had absolutely loved sharing a home, and as a matter of fact, his life with her. His Anne with an E, she had made their house feel like a home. She left her touch on everything and everyone she encountered, from which he was not excluded. 

Walking into the kitchen, he found Anne, expertly pressing flowers in a book. He silently observed her for a moment, noting how beautiful she looked when she was focused on completing a task. He leaned over to kiss her when he noticed that she had been crying. 

“Anne, is everything alright?” 

“Oh Gilbert! Everything is perfectly fine,” she lied, wiping away her tears as quickly as she could. “I am simply delighted by these flowers. They evoke this feeling inside me that’s so perfectly poignant.” She knew better than to alarm her husband, knowing very well that he became especially worried when it came to matters concerning her. After all, he had been keen on slaying her dragons for her since the day she first met him. 

She winced in pain then, as she tried to get up from the chair, placing a hand at her abdomen and internally cursing her body for betraying her. He immediately took her free hand into his. “What’s wrong, Anne?” he asked, his growing concern clear in his voice. 

“Nothing is wrong, Gilbert. I promise that I am fine,” she said, failing to convince him for her husband knew her very well.

“It’s not nothing, Anne. You’re in pain.” He placed his hand on her stomach, applying light pressure as he would with his patients. “Is the pain sharp?” 

She winced again, trying her best to feign indifference to the pain. “It’s not very serious at all. I’m sure that it will go–” 

She was cut off by Gilbert, who had picked her up into his arms. Her hand instinctively came to rest on his chest and her head against his shoulder. “Gilbert, what are you doing?” she questioned, confused, as her husband proceeded upstairs. 

“Menstrual cramps?” he asked, speaking in a way that was so casual. She had a passing thought that Mrs. Rachel Lynde would have been mortified by his impropriety, discussing her “womanly flowering time” so openly. It was a shameful thing she had been told, unmentionable even. Most men would have been repulsed and shy away from talking about menstruation, but then again, Gilbert Blythe was not like most men. 

“How did you know?” she asked. Of course, he was privy to the painful symptoms of menstruation. He was a doctor after all. But how had he known that it was menstrual cramps in particular that were bothering her? 

“You know Anne, I let you win the spelling bee all those years ago.”

“If memory serves correct, you misspelled the word ‘engagement’.” 

“I did, but it was on purpose, Anne. I saw you holding onto your stomach and I knew that something was wrong.”

“And here I thought that I had beat you fair and square.” 

He chuckled as he entered their room with her still in his arms. “It also meant that I could flirt with you.” 

He laid her on the bed gently, placing his hand on her stomach as he sat down beside her. Anne smiled at him then, the way he looked at her with so much love and concern reinforcing just how much he cared for her. She loved how deeply he cared; it was what made him an exceptional doctor.

“So, let me get this straight, you lost on purpose just so you could tell me that you ‘should’ve added the E’?” 

“Did you miss the part where I heroically sacrificed my position as the top student in class by misspelling a word I most definitely knew the spelling of, all because you were visibly in pain?” 

She giggled. “I’m surprised that you were so observant. We were so young after all,” Anne said, smiling fondly as she reminisced upon their early memories. 

“What can I say, Anne? As Diana says, I was smitten with you ever since you came to Avonlea and smashed your slate over my head.” They both laughed at that. “Besides, you were thirteen at the time. It made sense that you would be afflicted with menstrual pain,” he said matter-of-factly. 

“I was so mortified, Gilbert! That night when I saw the blood, I thought I was dying!” she said, embarrassed by her younger self. He laughed, finding her childhood naivety amusing. 

“You are so beautiful, Anne,” he said abruptly amidst the laughter, causing her to blush as he took a strand of stray hair and tucked it behind her ear. “I hope that someday, medicine can find a way to alleviate menstrual pain. I don’t like seeing you in pain like this.” 

No, Gilbert Blythe really was not like most men at all, she thought to herself. 

“Now, shall I get you some tea? Perhaps some hot towels?”

“Please don’t worry about me Gilbert. I am absolutely fine,” she protested, bringing her hand up to his face to stroke his cheek. He took her hand in his and kissed it fervently. 

“Why don’t you lie down with me?” she suggested. “I’m sure you’ve had a hard day at work.”

“Anne-girl, please let me take care of you. You cannot always be the one to take care of everything and everyone around you.”

“Speak for yourself Dr. Blythe! It is quite literally your job to take care of everyone.”

“I can say the same about you, Mrs. Blythe! Teaching is one of the most noble professions. You certainly take great care of your pupils. Not to mention how well you take care of me everyday, Anne. No one has ever been so preoccupied with how I’m feeling or whether I’m eating enough. You carry double the burden.”

“It’s hardly a burden loving you, Gilbert. You’re my equal and I’d like to believe that we take care of each other.”

“You’re also menstruating, Anne. I cannot even begin to imagine all the pain that you have to bear during this time, both physical and emotional. You deserve to rest, to take a break from everything.”

“I suppose we both need some respite,” she conceded, earning a victorious smile from him.

“I will be back with some tea,” he said, kissing her forehead. 

Anne grabbed his hand as he stood up. “Stay,” she pleaded, her eyes welling with tears. 

She was so cute, her lips pouted and all, that he couldn’t help but oblige. “And why is it that you want me to stay?” 

“Cuddles?” 

“But what about your cramps?” he inquired.

“I reckon that cuddling with you would alleviate the pain.” 

Gilbert chuckled at that. “So Mrs. Blythe, what you’re saying is that you were just trying to get me into bed, huh?” 

“Dr. Blythe, you and I both know that I wouldn’t even need to try to get you into bed if I really wanted to,” she said, smirking. 

“Is that so?” Gilbert questioned, even though he knew that it was an irrefutable fact. “Would you like to test that theory?” 

“Theory? More like scientific law,” Anne said, giggling as she pulled him in for a kiss. 

Gilbert loved moments like this – when he could be playful with Anne, laugh with her, kiss her. When days got long and hard at work, it was moments like these that he could think back on to give him the motivation to keep going. He laid his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat as she began running her fingers through his hair. He felt that he could stay in that moment forever – wrapped in Anne’s arms. He had always felt like he was home when he was in her arms, everything else in the world beginning to appear inconsequential.

They must have stayed like that for a while for Anne had fallen asleep. Gilbert smiled as he looked up at her, noticing how adorable, and more importantly, how relaxed she looked while she was sleeping. 

As quietly as he could, Gilbert made his way downstairs. In spite of her protests, Gilbert truly felt so bad that there was nothing he could do to take away her pain. He decided that he would cook for her. He had learned so much more about cooking as they would often cook together whenever they could. Gone were the days of dull oatmeal. 

Anne had once told him that cooking for someone was a form of love. He was all too eager to learn yet another way he could show his love for her.

__________________________________________

"Gilbert!" he heard Anne call a while later.

“Gilbert, I’m so sorry for falling asleep!” Anne exclaimed, practically running into the kitchen. “I didn’t mean to leave all this work for you.” She began to get teary-eyed. 

“We’re equals, Anne. When I work longer shifts at the hospital, I come home to a delicious meal that you prepared for me. Why can I not do the same for you?” He pulled her into his arms, giving her a soft kiss on her forehead. 

She started to cry, overwhelmed at her husband's kindness. Not even her imagination could have conjured up a more loving and devoted partner. “I love you Gilbert.”

"I love you too, Anne," he said, wiping away her tears and giving her a chaste kiss. "Would you like to eat now?" he asked, stroking her cheek with his thumb. She nodded, smiling brightly at him. 

"Now Anne, I must warn you. It will not taste as divine as your cooking." 

Anne looked at the spread of food he had made for her, admiring how well he had replicated the recipes that she often cooked for him - he had made one of Mary's recipes. "Gilbert, it looks and smells so lovely. I can't wait to try it!" she reassured. 

Gilbert led her to the table and pulled the chair out for her. As Anne began to eat, she was delighted. "Gilbert, this is wonderful!" Her husband was excellent at everything he did, and she admired him for it, even if it had caused the academic rivalry between them. 

"I'm so happy to hear you say that, Anne. I know that Mary's recipes which you had transcribed were meant for Delphine, but I would use them all the time when I was in Toronto. I couldn't survive off of oatmeal forever," he said, chuckling. 

She smiled fondly. "I hope to teach our future children her recipes too. Mary's legacy will live on forever," Anne said, her voice full of admiration for the woman who had been like a sister to her.

Gilbert was silent for a moment. "Our children?" 

"You don't want to have children with me?" she asked, feeling as if she would cry again. 

"Of course I do, Anne. To have a home, a family with you - that's all I have ever wanted." 

"What is it Gilbert?" she asked, squeezing his hand where it rested on the table. 

He took a deep breath before continuing. "What if I'm not a good father?" 

"Oh Gilbert! Of course you will be. You are the strongest, most devoted person I have ever known." She got up from her chair then, sitting on his lap so that she could hug him. "You're already the most amazing husband in the world. I cannot imagine why you wouldn't also be the most amazing father in the world." 

"I am hardly the most amazing husband in the world."

"Of course you are! I know what a bad husband looks like, Gilbert. In a world where men see their wives as property, to go as far as to force themselves on her in the bedroom, you are a beacon of hope. You see me as an equal. And I respect you endlessly for it." 

"Anne, you shouldn't have to respect me for seeing you as an equal, and much less for not forcing myself on you. That should be expected when you enter into any marriage." 

"I had always wanted a romance of my own. But the more I was exposed to men like Mr. Hammond or Billy Andrews, I had resigned myself to simply being the bride of adventure. Romance had begun to feel like a frivolity. Until you came along, the gentleman that you are, and I was completely and utterly enamoured." 

He smiled at her, taking her hand into his. "The world is movable, Anne - you taught me that. All we have to do is surround ourselves with like-minded people, raise our children to be good people, and ultimately we will break the cycle." 

"Oh, I am so proud to be married to you. You are the last person who should worry about not being a good father. The way you support me, love me unconditionally. The way you've taken care of me all day because I've been menstruating. These are the qualities of an excellent father." 

"I love you, Anne. I reckon you will be the most amazing mother in the world, as you put it." She giggled at this. It was his favourite sound in the world. "How about you head upstairs and get changed for bed? I'll clean up here and then we can cuddle to your heart's desire. How does that sound?" 

"That sounds absolutely divine!"

As Anne made her way upstairs, with thoughts of her amazing husband and their future children occupying her mind, she realized that she didn't mind menstruation so much. As treacherous as the pain had been, if it meant that they could share such special, intimate moments, and that they could have beautiful children of their own, she would bear it willingly. Oh, how she loved being a woman!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I always thought it would be cute to see how Gilbert would take care of Anne when she was on her period, especially after the spelling bee scene in 1x05. I see this happening early in their marriage as they learn more about each other from living together :)


End file.
